OCLC WorldShare™ Platform

OCLC is working together with members of the library community to build a platform for exchange, innovation and collaboration to help libraries operate at Webscale: the OCLC WorldShare Platform

The OCLC WorldShare Platform is a global, interconnected Web architecture that supports OCLC's Webscale services and applications, and provides flexible, open access to library data through APIs and other Web services. Libraries, developers and partners can use this data to innovate together to build and share apps that streamline and enhance their local library workflows. The OCLC WorldShare Platform facilitates collaboration and app-sharing across the library community, so that libraries can combine OCLC-built applications, library-built applications and partner-built applications. This enables the benefits of each single solution to be shared broadly throughout the library community. Unlike traditional APIs and Web Services, the OCLC WorldShare Platform allows community members to browse and install apps directly into subscribed OCLC services and allows developers to create and share apps that don't require OCLC services at all.

The OCLC WorldShare App Gallery provides a central place where you can see available apps and install them into your current work environment. Developers can showcase their creativity, partners can create add-on functionality and library staff can find practical, everyday solutions to streamline and enhance their workflows.

Web Services let you interact with library data on the open Web. Through the platform, you gain access to a consistent set of business- and data-level APIs and Web services—both production and experimental, read and write services. See the full list of available Web Services.

Data about libraries and their collections is at the heart of the WorldShare Platform. An extended view of WorldCat includes metadata, databases and content across digital, licensed and physical materials in a vendor-neutral space. Data resources include the WorldCat Registry, the WorldCat knowledge base and more.

The OCLC WorldShare Platform provides a flexible, open architecture for shared applications and collective innovation

Who can use the OCLC WorldShare Platform?

Access to the WorldShare App Gallery is open to everyone. Developers at libraries with active subscriptions to one or more OCLC products can access any of the Web Services available through the WorldShare Platform in a test environment. To move an app into production, a library must secure a use license for the service—typically a subscription to the relevant product.

If you have developers at your institution—related to the library or not—enlist their participation in this community through the OCLC Developer Network.